Election Violence Prevention Series

Start, Learn, Speak, and Connect are a series designed to combine a Quaker spiritual grounding with best practices for election violence prevention (as learned internationally by experts) and skill building in working together for peace across cultural and political differences. The series dates are Tuesday evenings: April 2, April 9, April 16, and April 23. You only need to register once (see below) to attend the series. 

In the peacebuilding field, “election violence” is physical violence, severe psychological violence, or property damage that is either motivated by an election cycle or intended to influence an election cycle. That means it can start many months before an election and continue for some months afterward. The United States is already experiencing some incidents of election violence attached to the 2024 election cycle, and there are a number of risk factors that make additional violence a real possibility.

This can feel scary. But the situation isn’t hopeless. An overwhelming majority of people in our country do not want violence, regardless of their political positions, and Friends have been practicing election violence prevention in other countries for many years. We can learn from them and from other experts to build communities that are less likely to experience election violence – and more likely to respond resiliently if they do.

In this 4-part series of conversations, we’ll begin with spiritual disciplines that are already part of our Quaker tradition, learning how these directly support election violence prevention work. Then, we’ll study practical strategies. We’ll support each other in discernment about how we’re led to act, knowing that everyone’s gifts and callings are different. Finally, we’ll dig deep into how, exactly, we can build the relationships across differences that are so vital to election violence prevention.

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Emily Provance is a member of Fifteenth Street Meeting in New York Yearly Meeting. She travels in the ministry, leading programs and writing extensively on topics related to faith and community.

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Zoom Registration:

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrfu6tqj4qHtNf8GqxZRpKr5YN6VAoPlaC

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

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